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Abstract

The Interactive Video Data Service (IVDS) system allows
consumers to browse the Internet, request information on
products or services, make purchases, indicate preferences,
and perform other interactive applications. To provide this
service, the IVDS system has three subsystems: Consumer
Control (CC), Cell Repeater (CR), and Host subsystem.

In the CC subsystem, an IVDS transceiver box is placed near
a television set. Once the consumer sends a command to the
transceiver box using a standard television/VCR/Cable remote
control, the transceiver box receives information embedded
in the television audio, and then transmits the information
to the CR subsystem as a radio frequency (RF) spread
spectrum message.

The CR subsystem decodes the spread spectrum message and
forwards it to the Host subsystem for processing. Located
in the CR subsystem, a custom designed circuit board, called
the decoder board, uses surface mounted components to decode
and packetize the spread spectrum message for transfer to
the CR main processor.

This paper provides a functional description of the hardware
components on the decoder board, and describes the
hardware/software developed for interfacing the decoder
board to the radio receiver and to the CR main processor.
Hardware modifications were needed to correct timing
problems between components. Software was developed to
initialize the components for downconverting, despreading,
and demodulating spread spectrum messages, and to packetize
them for transfer to the CR main processor. This paper also
discusses the tests used to verify both the performance of
the decoder board software and the operation of the hardware
components.